Ivykit's Ceremony
by MillyKitty101
Summary: A short story about a surprise at the apprentice ceremony of three RiverClan kits.


Ivykit woke up first, but she had hardly opened her eyes when Silverkit had wriggled away from her. Nightkit was nothing but a bundle of jet-black fur that vibrated faintly against their mother, Mistfeather. Silverkit tugged Ivykit's tail and chirped; "Let's go chase fish is the shallows!"

"With Nightkit?"

"Nightkit's boring. She never plays, just practices hunting and fighting. She's Mistfeather's favourite." Ivykit's tail drooped. Silverkit was right, Nightkit never played with her sisters. Everyone knew that their parents, Mistfeather and Icepelt, were grooming her to become Featherstar's successor as leader of RiverClan.

"Alright then," Ivykit mewed, twining her tail with Silverkit's. They were just crossing the camp when Lionbreeze stepped in front of them.

"Not today, kittens," the elder purred creakily, herding them back to the nursery. "Your mother will want to groom you."

"I'm old enough to share tongues with Silverkit. We can clean ourselves," Ivykit protested, trying to dodge past. "Please, Lionbreeze? We'll let Mistfeather groom us after."

The old tom shook his shaggy head. "This way, little ones."

Their mother was waiting, with a sleek Nightkit licking her ears in an absorbed fashion beside her. She pulled her other daughters closer. "You first, Silverkit. Ivykit, wait by Nightkit."

Ivykit shuffled closer to her midnight-coloured sister. Nightkit sniffed and turned away to watch Mistfeather tug burrs from Silverkit's pelt. Ivykit blinked. Nightkit thinks she's too important for me. Ivykit tried not to care, and examined a beetle creeping slowly up the wall of the woven den. Soon it was her turn, and Mistfeather got to work smoothing tangles and washing out mud. She cracked at tick between her teeth and mewed: "How did you get so dirty, Ivykit?"

Ivykit muttered something and hunched her shoulders as her mother tugged at a burr. At last she was done, and Mistfeather released her. But they weren't allowed to play! Mistfeather made all three kits sit in a row and called their father in. As Icepelt inspected his offspring, Ivykit wondered why they needed to be so spotless. _Who wants to see a bunch of kits?_

Featherstar yowled from the middle of camp. "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear what I have to say." Ivykit wanted to race out and watch with Silverkit, but she forced herself to walk gracefully out and sit beside her parents on the edge. "Silverkit," Featherstar mewed. "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Silverpaw. Your mentor will be Greyfur. I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you."

She turned to Greyfur. "Greyfur, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Swiftfoot, and you have shown yourself to be both loyal and brave. You will be the mentor of Silverpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

The newly named Silverpaw stretched up and touched noses with her mentor, then sat back down as the other cats cheered, her ears twitching joyfully. Featherstar waved her tail to Nightkit, and mewed; "Nightkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Nightpaw, and I will mentor you." They touched noses, and Ivykit fought the urge to yowl that it wasn't fair, while the clan called Nightpaw's new name. Then Petalsplash, the medicine cat took Featherstar's place. _What about my ceremony?_ Ivykit thought despairingly. Petalsplash began to speak.

"Cats of RiverClan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown love and perseverance. Your next medicine cat will be... Ivykit!"

Ivykit gasped._ This couldn't be happening! She didn't want to be a medicine cat!_ Featherstar waved her tail and mewed; "Ivy_paw_, do you accept the post of apprentice to Petalsplash?"

Ivypaw looked at her sisters. Nightpaw's claws had scraped grooves in the mud, but Silverpaw looked encouraging. "I do," Ivypaw mewed impulsively. "I do."

"Then at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats," Petalsplash mewed happily.

"The good wishes of RiverClan go with you," Featherstar mewed proudly, and Ivypaw touched noses with her mentor while her Clanmates cheered.


End file.
